The beginning of 2008 God inspired a family ministry called Emerging Life Ministries. At first it was more of an idea than reality but He is gradually unfolding His purpose for this ministry. May He emerge more deeply in your life through this ministry. Visit the complete website at www.emerginglifeministries.net

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

When He...then we..

“They commanded
the people, saying, ‘When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God
with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place
and go after it.’” Joshua 3:3.

The Israelites had been at the edge of the River Jordan
during the season when the snow from the winter was melting down into the
river.This made conditions in the water
rough and raging, causing the river to swell fifty feet wider than usual and
much deeper.The Bible states that they
were there for three days.They set up
camp, sat and waited being forced to face the impossible situation of the river
God commanded them to cross.Joshua
instructed them to sit tight, to fix their eyes on the ark which was the
presence of God.He urged them to not
take one step until God’s presence moved.Taking action ahead of God would have created a drowning experience.So they sat…and waited…and faced their
fear.Their questions must have included
how on earth it was going to play out?What on earth was God going to require of them to get to the other
side?Would they all survive or would
some perish?What might be lost along
the way?The message was clear… ‘WHEN
He…then we.’

Our mind experiences the same fears and questions when we
are faced with a set of circumstances that God has determined we walk
through.We are looking over our raging
rivers aware that we are going to have to walk through them.We sometimes mistake our own ideas of how to
maneuver for God’s ideas.We exhaust ourselves by building boats when
the miracle will provide dry land.We minimize the power of God and maximize our unbelief of what He can
accomplish as we stand on our river’s edge.Knowing we are waiting on God to move we fret…we worry…we calculate…we
manipulate.God’s will doesn’t change
and He will do what He sets out to do, but the difference will be in the peace
we experience in the wait.Our fret and
worry doesn’t change the outcome but certainly changes the comfort that can be
ours.

As you stand at the edge of your challenges facing the
tough waters ahead, you can know with confidence that as you follow in the steps
of God He is up ahead parting the waters.‘The
Lord himself goes before you and will be with
you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be
discouraged’ Deut. 31:8.